Director’s Letter: 2026 & Beyond

Glorious Capsuleers,

Here we are - It’s 2026 and we’re mid-way through development on our next expansion which we’re dying to tell you about. For more details than this letter could possibly contain, check out our most recent dev chat, here:

All in all, it’s shaping up to be a banner year for EVE Online as all-out war comes to low-sec, and the Empires come back into focus to pull you into the conflict.

But first…

2025: Redrawing the Foundations of EVE Online

It’s impossible to look ahead without first acknowledging the behemoth year that 2025 was for EVE Online! It was a year of hardening the core experiences of EVE Online: We gave mining and industry some necessary love with Catalyst and saw how quickly the meta shifted with fleet-based mining and new resource strategies. With Legion we connected job seekers and job creators across all New Eden with Freelance Jobs and the introduction of ACLs. You took this system and expanded it wildly beyond our expectations. Last year also saw a huge number of dread brawls testing industrialists and logistical folk alike, and the collapse of Horde is something that will be studied and written about for years to come. And who could forget the DOTLAN-style 2D map?

For a nice recap of the carnage, betrayal and victories from the year, check our most recent Pulse from December and Scope episodes. You made this happen! And we have plenty to build on in 2026.

Let’s get right to it: This year’s Director’s Letter can be summed up with two commitments: Over the next three expansions, we’re going to elevate Factional Warfare into war with real stakes and pull new players into the fight with purpose from day 1. Let’s dive in!

3 Expansions, One Saga:

Things are never quiet in New Eden; somewhere, someone is always on the edge of war. It’s possible to ignore it, but ultimately war shapes everything: economy, politics, borders, relations and stories. That constant motion is what makes EVE feel alive, and it’s exactly the energy we want to lean into.

Over the next three expansions, we’re going all in on Theatres of War, expanding Faction Warfare and formalizing Military Campaigns as a core part of EVE’s future. These won’t be isolated battles, but living conflicts with clear arcs, goals, escalation, and resolution, unfolding across a single connected narrative over time. This represents a shift in how we build EVE; big ambitions will no longer be something we rush to finish in six months, but rather ideas we introduce, build upon, and refine over several expansions. The result is clearer direction, stronger continuity, and the ability to tackle more complex systems. TL; DR: we’re chasing big ideas with real follow-through.

War Leaves Its Mark Across ALL New Eden

Theatres of War are not limited to the frontlines of low security space. The Empire Wars are felt across high sec and low sec alike. Just as in player corporations, conflict should create opportunities for all playstyles to contribute. Fighting, industry, logistics, resource gathering, and support all matter, whether you are on the edge of the battlefield or deep within your home territory.

Military Campaigns are designed as storytelling tools. Each one has a beginning, a middle, and an end. They create moments worth committing to, outcomes worth fighting over, and histories worth remembering.

This is not about simplifying war or making it safer. It is about making conflict more meaningful and consequential, so that more players can understand where they stand, how they can contribute, and why individual actions matter. Yes, even those of New Capsuleers!

Going Solo? You Are Not Alone

EVE is a social game, even when you play it alone. But breaking the barrier to social play is hard, especially for new capsuleers. For many pilots, flying solo is simply the starting point. We’re going to make it a good one.

This year, we are focusing on giving new players, especially solo and low-confidence pilots, clear purpose and meaningful agency from day one. Military Campaigns are the foundation of that experience: a way for pilots to take on contracts from rival Empires and immediately become part of something larger than themselves.

From there, we want to gradually introduce complexity, risk, and opportunity, easing players from solo play into co-existence, co-play, and eventually shared purpose.

We have already been building the social tools to support this journey. Corporation Projects, Freelance Jobs, and access-controlled collaboration allow players to contribute without immediate commitment. These systems act as bridges into the wider universe, helping newer players step forward at their own pace.

Faction Warfare and structured conflict give players purpose, urgency, and belonging. The stories that these wars create are often what convert a curious new player into a lifelong capsuleer.

And the more new players we guide into factional conflict, the more we all win.

War Continues Brewing on The Ground

The stories, conflict and persistence we all love and know in EVE continue and will be expanded in EVE Vanguard, where development is well underway. It’s a different kind of EVE experience, but one that stays deeply connected to the universe you already know. For example, Vanguard will play a direct role in upcoming Military Campaigns, strengthening the bridge between ground combat and the wider conflicts shaping New Eden.

This year, you’ll also have the chance to jump into a new crossover EVE Online and Vanguard World Event, while continuing to explore the mysteries of Avalon, the culture of Warclones, and combined-arms gameplay.

The experience is already demonstrating a look and feel that stands confidently alongside EVE Online. We’ll continue developing Vanguard with you through open and closed playtests, using your feedback to shape an experience that feels worthy of the EVE franchise. If you want to help us with this evolution, join the Vanguard Discord and wishlist the game on Steam to follow along with the latest news and tests.

A note on dates: Update your calendars, as EVE Vanguard’s Steam Early Access release is moving beyond Summer 2026 — giving us the time needed to deliver a stronger, more fully realized experience for players. More news to come at Fanfest, don’t miss it!

What Else Will 2026 Bring?

2026 will bring two expansions, but it will not be limited to them.

The year begins with EVE Evolved in February, followed by a major update in March, with more updates and events landing throughout the year. Some will arrive inside expansions, others between them, as we continue to evolve the universe with a steady cadence.

EVE Evolved is also a celebration of craft. Alongside gameplay updates, it brings meaningful visual and artistic refinements that elevate how New Eden feels from moment to moment. Our art teams continue to do incredible work, and this update gives some of that work the spotlight it deserves.

Several of New Eden’s most beloved events are also returning, including Capsuleer Day, reimagined to reflect where the universe stands today.

At Fanfest, we’ll celebrate Project Discovery’s 10th anniversary, share more about the vinyl release Past and Future Sounds of New Eden, and welcome back PLEX for Good as an always-on initiative, giving you new ways to support nominated charities. More details on all of this are coming soon.

We’re excited to see many of you at Fanfest and to dig into what’s next together. Until then, tune in to our streams, Discord, and other channels for updates, reveals, and the usual shenanigans.

Fly safe!   CCP Burger and CCP Rattati